The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1858 forced the small Jewish community of Baton Rouge to establish its first institution, a cemetery association that acquired land in order to bury the six Jews who had died from the disease. A year later, this small group of Baton Rouge Jews established the “Hebrew Congregation of the City of Baton Rouge.” The congregation’s founding members were Jacob Farnbacher, Leopold Rosenthal, A. Mann, Nathan Dalsheimer, Charles Simon, Simon Bear, Leopold Dalsheimer, and Simon Mendelsohn. ... Baton Rouge is home to two different congregations, both Reform, and both small. In 2007, B’nai Israel had 214 members, while Beth Shalom had 128. Efforts to join the two congregations have failed due to lingering resentments and refusals to compromise. The rivalry between the two congregations still divides the Baton Rouge Jewish community today. [January 2009]

Jewish (Hebrew) Cemetery: 1400 block of North Street, Baton Rouge, LA. On old maps, the site is sometimes listed as "Hebrew" and sometimes as "Jewish." There are veral [sic] graves, which predate the establishment. Using the center drive as the dividing line, Section I lies east of the drive and Section II to the west of the drive.

Congregation Shaare ChesedCemetery (Gates of Loving Kindness): In August 1886, the name was changed to Temple B'nai Israel (Children of Israel). Currently on Kleinert Ave, the first recorded burial in the cemetery was in 1858: Source: Chip Landry; Pride, Louisiana

Liberal Cemetery: Attached to Beth Shalom Synagogue (9111 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA; 504 924-6773). The cemetery is located on Florida Blvd, 1 mile east of Cortina Mall, on the north side of the highway. Source: Philip W. Bennett, Baton Rouge, LA 70808; e-mail:
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